Articles written by scott smith


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  • Scientists: Future of oldest tree species on Earth in peril

    SCOTT SMITH|Sep 14, 2017

    FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — The bristlecone pine tree, famous for its wind-beaten, gnarly limbs and having the longest lifespan on Earth, is losing a race to the top of mountains throughout the Western United States, putting future generations in peril, researchers said Wednesday. Driven by climate change, a cousin of the tree, the limber pine, is leapfrogging up mountainsides, taking root in warmer, more favorable temperatures and leaving no room for the late-coming bristlecone, a study finds. Researchers compare the competing tree species to a p...

  • California tightens rules on popular pesticide for farmers

    SCOTT SMITH|Aug 18, 2017

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California is tightening the strictest rules in the nation on a pesticide that is popular with farmers over new health concerns, officials said Friday. Farmers use chlorpyrifos (klor-PHIR-e-fos) to kill pests that attack a wide variety of crops like grapes, almonds and cotton grown in California, the nation's agricultural leader, as well as across the country. State officials are taking steps to put it on a list of chemicals known to be harmful to humans and to also increase the distance from schools and homes in which f...

  • Survivor of deadly California crash blames social media

    Scott Smith|Jul 26, 2017

    FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A 14-year-old survivor of a deadly car crash in California that was livestreamed on Instagram said she isn't mad at anyone and doesn't blame the driver. Instead, Manuela Seja blamed social media, which she said has taken over people's lives and is only going to become more prevalent, television station KSEE in Fresno (http://bit.ly/2v2bYRB) reported Monday. "Honestly, I'm not mad at anybody and I don't blame anybody," Seja, who suffered a leg injury, said during an interview with the station. "It's all affected by s...

  • Ingredient in popular weed killer going on list as cancerous

    Scott Smith|Jun 28, 2017

    FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Regulators in California took a pivotal step on Monday toward becoming the first state to require the popular weed killer Roundup to come with a label warning that it's known to cause cancer. Officials announced that starting July 7 the weed killer's main ingredient, glyphosate, will appear on a list California keeps of potentially cancerous chemicals. A year later, the listing could come with warning labels on the product, officials said. However, it's not certain whether Roundup will ultimately get a warning label. M...

  • Strawberry scientist is sued over the fruits of his research

    Scott Smith|May 5, 2017

    FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Plant scientist Douglas Shaw spent his career toiling in the fields in California to grow the perfect strawberry, one that was plump and bright red yet remained sweet even after the long trip to grocery stores across the country. When the professor retired from the University of California at Davis and set up his own strawberry-breeding business, though, he found himself in a legal jam. In a case set for trial in federal court later this month, the university is suing Shaw and his scientific partner, saying they stole t...

  • Gunfire sensors credited with quick arrest in Fresno rampage

    Scott Smith|Apr 21, 2017

    FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Acoustic sensors mounted on lampposts and telephone poles picked up the crack of gunfire and rapidly enabled police to zero in on where it was coming from. Within minutes, the alleged gunman in the deadly rampage was under arrest. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer credited the technology Wednesday with the swift capture of Kori Ali Muhammad, a 39-year-old black man who authorities say killed three people Tuesday in a bid to wipe out as many whites as possible. "He was in custody within 4 minutes and 13 seconds," Dyer said W...

  • In drought, drones help California farmers save every drop 

    Scott Smith|Aug 28, 2016

    LOS BANOS, Calif. (AP, Aug. 29, 2016) – A drone whirred to life in a cloud of dust, then shot hundreds of feet skyward for a bird's-eye view of a vast tomato field in California's Central Valley, the nation's most productive farming region. Equipped with a state-of-the-art thermal camera, the drone crisscrossed the field, scanning it for cool, soggy patches where a gopher may have chewed through the buried drip irrigation line and caused a leak. In the drought-prone West, where every drop of water counts, California farmers are in a constant s...